


The Calm After the World

by Drybonesour, Fernatticus



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Afterlife, Awkward Yasha (Critical Role), Background Zuala (Critical Role), Bittersweet, Crushes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/F, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Holding Hands, Hurt Nott | Veth Brenatto, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love Languages, Napping, Nott | Veth Brenatto Has Issues, Nott | Veth Brenatto Needs a Hug, Nott | Veth Brenatto has PTSD, Nott | Veth Brenatto's Backstory, Past Lives, Past Relationship(s), Past Yasha/Zuala (Critical Role), Pining, Sleepy Cuddles, Strangers to Lovers, Yasha is a Softie (Critical Role), angel yasha, cottage core but make it ethereal, intentionally vague timeline, pre goblin veth, rare pair bible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26163115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drybonesour/pseuds/Drybonesour, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fernatticus/pseuds/Fernatticus
Summary: There's a dead girl in Yasha's garden
Relationships: Nott | Veth Brenatto/Yasha
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	1. Warm after Water

Yasha wasn’t sure when the woman arrived, but at some point when she turned away from her flower bed to retrieve shears, there was a young halfling woman sitting in her garden. Not sure of what to do, Yasha simply continued her work, occasionally looking up from where she tended to the flowers to the halfling woman who paid little mind to Yasha’s work or existence..

The halfling woman spent her time idle, humming a song under her breath or plucking and braiding the occasional daffodil into her braids. Her eyes maintained a far off look, and she generally seemed unaware of the confused Aasmiar who tried not to stare. By the third hour, Yasha was simply too curious to go on as normal.

“Uh, excuse me?” Yasha spoke up, unintentionally casting a shadow over the halfling. The woman who sat on the marble bench blinked, as if she hadn’t seen Yasha approach.

“Hi,” The stranger responded.

“Are you…” Yasha tried to find the proper words. It had been so long since she had spoken with a non celestial, so she was trying her best to not come off as weird. “Are you lost?”

The halfling woman thought for a moment, before responding, “I don’t know.”

“Oh,” Yasha replied, pursing her lips. “Can I sit here?”

“Feel free,” The woman shrugged. “It’s not my garden.”

“I know. It’s mine,” Yasha responded, sitting down gently. 

“Do…” The woman started, her voice softening. “Do _you _know why I’m here then?”__

__“No,” Yasha replied honestly._ _

__The halfling woman frowned a bit, reclining in her seat in only the way someone of her diminutive size could._ _

__“Well, it’s a nice garden,” She said, looking up at the sky._ _

__“Thank you. What’s your name?” Yasha asked._ _

__“Veth,” Veth told her._ _

__“My name’s Yasha,” Yasha offered. “Where are you from? Why are you here?”_ _

__Veth closed her eyes and sighed, resting the back of her head against the marble back on the bench._ _

__“I… I’m from Felderwin… I think… I think I’m dead?”_ _

__“Why do you think that?”_ _

__“Because I died.”_ _

__Unsure of how to continue, Yasha rested a hand on Veth’s in a show of comfort. Veth peered up at the Aasimar, her eyes shimmering in the light, before a sob tore it’s way through her lips and she broke down, sobbing._ _

__If Yasha had been awkward and uncertain before, that feeling was increased ten fold as Veth pushed her face into her hands, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. Trepidatiously, Yasha reached a hand out, before placing it on Veth’s back._ _

__This seemed to be all the encouragement Veth needed to surge forward and bury herself within the grasp of the larger woman. Veth’s arms didn’t even reach all the way around Yasha’s back, but she clung with such desperation it felt like Veth was preparing to be ripped away._ _

__Gently, Yasha rested a hand on Veth’s head, gently stroking her scalp and, instead of thinking about the horrible, grief filled, heart wrenching sobs coming from the young woman, marvelling at the softness of her silky hair._ _

__The two of them sat for a long while, Veth’s shuttering sobs softening and intermingling with the ambient of the garden until she was silently crying into Yasha’s chest, Yasha the whole while murmuring vague, comforting words._ _


	2. Wisteria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasha learns about Veth and gives her a tour of the flowers.

Over the next couple of hours, Yasha learned a few things about Veth.  
1\. Her birth name was Revvetha Smy’th, but due to halfling cultural conventions, she was just Veth Brenatto.  
2\. She was 23 years old, which, by halfling standards, meant she was a young adult.  
3\. She had a husband and child who she was very concerned about.  
And  
4\. She died by being drowned.

Veth spilled her heart to Yasha, eyes full of tears and glittering in the light. Inconcise and rambling, she explained something about goblins and a woman and a river that was cold and suffocating and then an all consuming darkness. Yasha, not at all acquainted with the culture of the material plane, simply listened, discerning what small amounts of information made sense to her. A while ago, she had offered her hand, trying her best to give some comfort to the distressed woman, and Veth was still clutching to it with a vice like grip. Yasha sort of wanted her hand back, but Veth was still talking and her hand was very warm and soft, so she decided against it.

Eventually, Veth calmed down and took a deep breath, which was good because she hadn’t really been breathing before and Yasha had been getting concerned about her hyperventilating.

“I-I’m sorry for rambling,” Veth apologized bashfully, ducking her head and wiping a remaining, outlier tear from her cheek.

I-It’s okay,” Yasha responded. “Sometimes it’s just good to talk.”

Veth sniffled a bit before giving Yasha a small smile, her face illuminated in the heavenly glow that pervaded the entirety of the garden. 

“W-well, what about you?” Veth asked, still working on steadying her breath.

“What about me?” Yasha cocked her head to the side. 

Veth elaborated, “Who are you? And where are we?”

“Well my name is Yasha,” Yasha conveyed, before noticing the unamused look on Veth’s face and elaborating. “I’m not very interesting. This is my garden. I take care of it.”

Veth let out a considerate hum, watching a small ladybug land on the petal of a marigold before flying off.

“We’re in the Celestial Heavens, which is probably why you’re here, but usually dead people don’t show up in my garden. It’s all very odd,” Yasha explained. In all honesty, she wasn’t too well versed with the inner working of the Celestial Heavens. She simply kept her garden up here, so it was strange to receive a soul.

“Wait… are you dead too?” Veth asked, her attention returning to the aasimar, her tone of voice somewhat accusatory.

“No? I don’t think so. I’m an aasimar,” Yasha elucidated. “I’m celestial.”

“So… you’re an angel?” Veth’s eyes widened, her voice a whisper on the word ‘angel’ as if it were some sort of secret.

“Sure.” Yasha shrugged.

“Woah,” Veth breathed, looking at Yasha in a strange way. It made Yasha a little nervous but also a little happy, because Veth’s pretty eyes were looking at her with reverence instead of the small amount of fear that had been there before. “How long have you been keeping your garden?”

“A long time,” Yasha replied simply. She would have elaborated, but even she wasn’t sure. Time seemed to move differently here, and with no indicator of time other than the day and night cycle, she lost track of the days. She didn’t really want to count them anyway.

“It’s beautiful,” Veth mused softly, looking around the landscape. For some reason, Yasha’s eyes lingered on Veth. She was beautiful too.

“Thank you,” Yasha replied.

“What kind of flowers do you have?” 

That simple, polite question led to Yasha leading Veth by hand around the whole garden, acquainting Veth with each type of flower in the garden. Yasha was excited to share this passion with another person, but she was further enthused by the way Veth paid close attention, asking questions and admiring them closely. Eventually, the two of them reached a flower bed that housed a grouping Ausmas, Veth’s eyes widening at the sight.

“We have flowers just like these near my house!” Veth marveled, crouching down to gently thumb the petal of a particularly bright Ausmas. “They’re beautiful.”

Without thinking, Yasha spoke. “Would you like one?”

Veth turned back, looking up to the pale aasimar woman, eyes wide.

“Really?” She squeaked in awe. 

“Sure, why not?” Yasha replied flippantly, although the butterflies in her stomach spoke against her casual demeanor.

Yasha crouched down next to Veth, Veth’s wide, wondering eyes still watching with awe as Yasha gently plucked the base of the Ausmas off of its stem. Hands refusing to shake from sheer will power alone, Yasha carefully slid the stem of the flower behind Veth’s ear, Veth’s cheeks lighting up the way Yasha expected hers were as well. Yasha’s large hand lingered where her rough, work hardened knuckles had brushed against delicate brown cheeks, so close that Yasha could, if she wanted, cup Veth’s cheek.

The two of them maintained eye contact for a soft moment, Yasha memorizing the way Veth’s pupils dilated, black expanding in the expanse of golden brown.

“Thank you,” Veth said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Well,” Yasha responded, her voice equally soft. “Flowers were meant to be appreciated.” 

The second she felt herself leaning forwards, Yasha shot to her feet, back as straight as a ruler, startling the halfling who was thrown off balance, tumbling softly onto the grass.

Yasha coughed, “Uhm, so next are the Wisterias.”

“Oh, yes!” Veth hopped to her feet, dusting the grass stains off her behind, her blush still as prominent as before. “The Wisterias. Of course.”


	3. Duckling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasha and Veth watch the clouds and discuss family

“Yasha?” Veth asked. Yasha rolled over to look at Veth, who stayed on her back, the halfling’s eyes trained on the clouds lazily floating past overhead. 

“Yes Veth?” Yasha responded, her voice softening in the way it did habitually for Veth.

“Do you have a family? You live here alone, right?” Veth asked, her eyes flickering to Yasha, a discerning look on her face. Yasha sighed, rolling onto her back once more. Softly, she felt a small hand cover hers. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Yasha stayed quiet, mulling over the decision, intertwining her fingers with Veth’s.

Thinking about Zuala was hard, so she couldn’t imagine what talking about Zuala would be like. How were you supposed to explain to someone that you left your wife, that you abandoned the most important person in your life in a moment of pure cowardice. That the entire reason you were here was because you couldn’t own up to your past.

“I,” Yasha started. She felt the hand intertwined with hers squeeze gently, a show of reassurance and companionship. She took a deep breath. “I had… I had a wife.”

“Had?” Veth responded. Yasha silently appreciated this question, one that was open ended enough that she could either elaborate or shut it down entirely. However, at the moment, Yasha didn’t really feel like talking about it in great detail.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

Yasha fell silent, those last words lingering in the air above them. Instead, she focused on the clouds above them.

“Look,” Veth whispered, taking their entwined hands and pointing at the sky. “It looks like a duck.”

Yasha shifted, Veth keeping their hands still as Yasha adjusted her body so as to rest her head on next to Veth’s, trying to see what she saw. Looking down the barrel of Veth’s finger, she caught sight of the cloud passing overhead which Veth’s finger was trained on.

“It does. Good find.”

She didn’t look, but Yasha knew for a fact that Veth smiled in response. Yasha smiled too, wondering if Veth somehow knew like she did without looking.

She hoped so.


	4. When the Rain Brings Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It rains

Yasha felt the storm only a moment before the raindrop landed on her forehead. The aasimar smiled up at the rolling in dark grey clouds, the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. The Stormlord preached that the rain brought in change, and although she wasn’t sure if it was true, the connection to her god was always welcome.

“It’s raining,” Yasha announced aloud. Although it had been rhetorical, she had expected some sort of quip of observation from her newfound companion. Blinking away a raindrop that had landed on her brow, Yasha turned to see Veth shaking, her fingers digging into her arms.

Veth hardly seemed aware of Yasha’s concerned touch as the pale woman crouched in front of the trembling halfling, trying to get her attention. Yasha was immediately wracked with guilt, having not even considered what the rain meant to her friend, knowing what had led Veth to be here.

A raindrop landed on Veth’s forehead and she flinched away, Yasha’s hands hovering over Veth’s arms which Veth was still digging her nails into. Gently, Yasha pried Veth’s hands from their death grip, taking them in hers. Veth blinked up at Yasha, their eyes finally meeting. The way she looked now reminded Yasha of how she had been when she had just arrived. She looked sad and scared and Yasha didn’t want her to feel that way.

“Veth,” Yasha alerted, still holding her hands. “Come here.”

Instantly, with more trust than Yasha could possibly deserve, Veth surged forward, wrapping trembling arms around Yasha’s waist, hiding under Yasha’s domineering figure. As she had before, Yasha rested a comforting hand on Veth’s head, gently stroking her hair as the rain around them picked up in intensity until it was pouring in full.

The occasional stray droplet would pass Yasha’s shield, and eventually she reached the point where she realized her body alone wouldn’t be enough to shelter the halfling. Closing her eyes and focusing, her wings folded out, the water on her back shooting out in droplets.

She hadn’t realized Veth had been watching until she looked down and Veth’s wide, wondering eyes were staring at her with more adoration and reverence than Yasha felt necessary.

“You have wings,” Veth gasped, still hugging Yasha’s chest. Yasha smiled softly, bringing her wing around to shelter Veth, the wings acting as a roof. Veth sat in Yasha’s lap, fitting as if she were meant to sit there all along, reached up to touch the non wet feathers of the underside of one wing. 

Brushing a gentle, reverent hand over the expanse of white dislodged a feather, which floated down gently, landing in Veth’s lap. Veth carefully picked it up, inspecting it closely.

“Yasha,” She whispered. “They’re beautiful.”

Yasha, falling into a rhythm dictated only by her most emotional instincts, reached down and wiped away a lingering splotch of wetness on Veth’s cheek, her hand remaining even after wiping it away. 

Above them, a crack of thunder rang out, however Yasha was no longer focused on the storm, and instead on the halfling who’s brown eyes were twinkling and whose cheeks were lit up, making her more radiant than before. The halfling who fit so perfectly in her lap and who’s hand fit in hers. The halfling whose skin was soft and warm. The halfling who was her first companion in this lonely place. The halfling whose lips were soft against hers.

In their shelter, the two of them were warm, sharing their warmth through gentle kisses, contrasting the cold of the outside around them.

The Stormlord was correct, the rain truly did bring change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pining is broke, have some implied kissing


	5. Dulcedo Citharae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasha plays the harp and Veth naps

“That sounds really pretty,” Veth said. “How long have you been learning?”

Yasha’s eyes didn’t leave the strings of the harp as she responded.

“A few months I think. I don’t practice as much as I should,” Yasha replied. Veth papped her cheek against Yasha’s bicep, resting all of her weight against Yasha’s side, however, saying Veth was 3’6, it didn’t affect her playing. 

Veth hummed in acknowledgement, cuddling further into Yasha’s side. It was a comfortable and welcome weight. Veth was warm and soft and really nice to hold, and receiving hugs from Veth made her chest feel like it was being lit up.

Really, all of Veth made Yasha feel like she was being lit up inside. Veth was endlessly clever and quick, learning how to tend for the flowers with ease and entertaining Yasha with her wit. Whenever Veth spoke, Yasha wanted to hear what she had to say, even if it was just an arbitrary passing observation. 

After a few moments of peaceful harp intermingled with the sounds of nature around them, Veth spoke once more, asking, “What song are you playing?”

“I’m not playing a song, I’m just playing notes I think sound pretty,” Yasha replied. Against her, Veth yawned, apparently being lulled to sleep by the soft music. “I don’t know how to read sheet music.”

“If you want, I could transcribe it for you. I took violin when I was younger, and while I haven’t played in years, I still remember base level music theory,” Veth offered, cuddling further into Yasha.

Yasha paused, surprised by the new information. Veth did that sometimes, she would reveal a minute detail about herself and Yasha would be reminded of how intelligent Veth was. 

“I’d like that,” Yasha responded. Veth beamed up at Yasha, before leaning up and sweetly kissing Yasha and crawling into her lap, making herself comfortable. Yasha readjusted the harp so it wasn’t leaning on Veth, and resumed her playing, Veth napping quietly in her lap. 

Yasha decided that later she would write a song for Veth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, using a one off joke that Sam made about Veth taking violin class and inserting it into my rare pair fic? It's more likely than you'd think.


End file.
